


who could ever leave me darling… but who could stay? you could stay

by L13



Series: this was the very first page, not where the story line ends [3]
Category: Station 19 (TV)
Genre: F/F, i didn't tag the other characters, you don't need to read the other parts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:09:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24736693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/L13/pseuds/L13
Summary: (i wake in the night, i pace like a ghost, the room is on fire, invisible smoke)She didn’t know which was worse: being out here, not knowing what was happening or in there, watching everything they were doing to her girlfriend.
Relationships: Maya Bishop/Carina DeLuca
Series: this was the very first page, not where the story line ends [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1772248
Comments: 25
Kudos: 176





	1. i.

**Author's Note:**

> I have no firsthand knowledge of Italian, medicine or being a firefighter. This is roughly 8 months after Part 2.
> 
> Title from The Archer by Taylor Swift.

Maya resisted the urge to get up and start pacing. She felt like she needed to be doing _something_ but, where it mattered most, there was nothing she could do.

19 had worked as fast as they could to finish up at the scene and subsequently drop their captain off at Grey Sloan Memorial. She raced inside and found Miranda Bailey waiting for her. They skipped the pleasantries as Maya launched into a series of frantic questions.

“Where is she? Is she okay? How bad is it? Is she…” _Alive?_

Bailey placed her hand on Maya’s arm and led her towards the elevators. “We’ve been treating her smoke inhalation with oxygen and her X-ray showed a displaced spiral fracture in her right tibia. Dr Lincoln and Dr Altman are operating on her right now.” Noticing the panic on Maya’s face at the mention of the cardiothoracic surgeon, she explained, “Her right lung was punctured by a broken rib but Dr Altman is repairing it.”

Carina’s brother, Andrew, had gotten permission from Bailey to be in the gallery during the surgery. Maya, however, would have to remain in the waiting room while the love of her life was on an operating table somewhere beyond those doors. She didn’t know which was worse: being out here, not knowing what was happening or in there, watching everything they were doing to her girlfriend.

They sat together in silence until Vic arrived.

“Hey, is there any news?”

Maya shook her head dejectedly as Bailey stood up and offered the firefighter her seat. She turned to look at the Chief of Surgery. “Thank you for taking care of her,” she said, her voice cracking at the end, before adding, “and me.”

“She’s in the best hands,” Bailey reassured her and then left to go check on the surgery herself.

Feeling her eyes start to fill with tears, Maya lowered her head in an attempt to hide them from her friend. But Vic understood all too well what it was like to be in her position so she wrapped her arms around the other woman and guided Maya’s head to her shoulder.

How had they gotten here when just this morning she had woken in Carina’s arms, her own hands covering the ones resting on her stomach, their legs tangled together? Her girlfriend had nuzzled the back of her neck, bringing a sleepy smile to Maya’s lips and reinforcing her decision to keep her hair at a shorter length.

She had spent the first few months after their reconciliation worried about how _well_ things were going. The combination of a rough day, a familiar reaction and an alternate ending showed Maya how much progress had been made.

* * *

_The door swung open and just the sight of Carina was enough to brighten Maya’s mood. After the day she had, all she wanted was to spend the night in a bubble with her girlfriend._

_Maya pulled her in for a kiss before any words could even be spoken. Shutting the door with her foot, she spun Carina around and pushed her up against it, never breaking the kiss. They only parted when oxygen became necessary._

_“Hi,” whispered Carina, smiling blissfully as their foreheads rested together. “Are you okay?”_

_Nodding once, Maya replied, “It was just a long shift. And I missed you.” She leaned in for another kiss and then headed towards the kitchen, avoiding her girlfriend’s searching gaze. “I could use a drink though.”_

_She found the glass of wine Carina had set down when she’d gone to answer the door and drained it in one go. Reaching for the nearby bottle, she refilled the glass three quarters of the way and immediately began sipping it._

_“Did something happen?” Carina asked gently. She was leaning against the wall and watching Maya with a concerned expression._

_“Everything’s fine.”_

_“Maya…”_

_Maya switched from deflecting to evading in an instant. “You know what? I don’t think I’m going to be very good company tonight so I’m just going to go.” She left the glass on the counter and walked back to the door, hearing her girlfriend call her name once more as it clicked shut behind her._

_“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she muttered, slumping against the wall._

_A second later the door opened again, making her jump. Both women looked surprised and then relieved to see the other standing there. With a hopeful look on her face, Carina extended her hand and Maya’s heart swelled with love as she reached out to take it._

_“We lost someone on a call today,” Maya confessed, choking up at the memory, when they returned inside._

_Carina’s eyes filled with sympathy as she took her into her arms. “We don’t have to talk about it,” she said and Maya knew she meant it. “It’s okay if you can’t talk to me about this but you shouldn’t keep it inside.”_

_“I just want you to have the good parts of me.”_

_“I want all of you._ Ogni parte, anche quelli che pensi siano cattivi _(every part, even the ones that you think are bad).”_

_Maya buried her face in the side of her girlfriend’s neck. “I’m sorry I walked out again.” She was terrified that one of these days she was going to run out of second chances with the doctor._

_Bringing one hand up to cradle the back of Maya’s head, Carina pressed a kiss into her hair. “It’s okay; you didn’t go far.”_

* * *

And in the morning, just as the sun was starting to rise, Maya would tell Carina about the victim they had lost. How a teenage girl had begged them to save her mother and the sound of her screams as the firefighters emerged from the house with a body covered in burns. She was pronounced dead shortly after she arrived at the hospital.

They were having dinner together a few days later when Carina set a key down next to Maya’s plate. She had stared wide-eyed at it, glancing briefly at her girlfriend, before slowly picking it up.

“I thought about hiding it in your food but I’m a doctor and I should know better.” Carina’s light smirk shifted into an uncharacteristically shy smile. “So you’ll always be able to come back.”

In that moment, Maya wanted nothing more than to be able to give Carina a key of her own but she had to settle for _thoroughly_ thanking her instead. The next day, however, she dropped by the hospital so she could rectify that—the key was _in_ the coffee.

She let her guard down. It’s also possible that she jinxed it.

Lately, she had been thinking about asking Carina to move in with her. They woke up together almost every morning and usually only slept apart when one of them had to work nights. Their clothes had found a home in each other’s drawers; two toothbrushes sat in each bathroom.

If only she knew how to go about it. Should the question be accompanied by a romantic gesture? Was it too early to even be taking this step? It had gotten to the point where she was tempted to go to the crew for advice.

As she drifted back into consciousness, muffled sounds became a low murmur of voices, one of which belonged to the body she was resting against. _Fuck._ She must have nodded off.

Pulling away from Vic, Maya forced her eyes open and turned to face the person her friend was speaking with. She was expecting to see Bailey or Teddy standing there but when she realised who it was, she shot straight to her feet. Vic quickly followed.

“What the hell happened in there?” demanded Maya, her voice trembling with anger. “And don’t you dare tell me that none of you recognised _my girlfriend_ lying in that _fire_.”

Andy hesitated, swallowing visibly. “I made a call—”

“It wasn’t your call to make,” snapped Maya. “I’m your captain.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” Her eyes were filled with remorse.

All the fight left Maya at once and both Andy and Vic reached out to steady her. They helped her into Vic’s seat and sat down on either side of her.

When Maya next spoke, it was without any animosity. “You saved her.” Andy squeezed her hand in response to her grateful look. “What happened in there?” she asked again.

* * *

_“Fire department, call out!”_

_Andy’s gaze swept over partially-eaten plates of food and chairs that had been knocked over in the panic to get outside. Their focus was on the back of the restaurant where a waiter—the only member of staff unaccounted for—was last seen helping everyone escape._

_“Over here!”_

_Andy and Jack shared a quick look and then ran in the direction of the voice. A young man stumbled towards them with one arm pointing at something behind him._

_“Please, you have to help her. She pushed me out of the way when the ceiling came down. She saved my life.”_

_“We’ve got her,” Andy told him while Jack went to go check on the woman. “But you need to get out of here.”_

_He nodded, glancing over his shoulder once more, before making his own way to safety._

_“Andy…”_

_The trepidation in Jack’s tone had Andy by his side in an instant. She noticed, first, that the debris from the ceiling was pinning the woman’s torso to the ground. And then she saw what it was that had made Jack freeze. Her blood went cold._

_“Carina.” The doctor’s eyelids fluttered open but only for a fleeting second. Andy knelt down beside her shoulder. “Carina, hey, can you hear me?” She almost missed the slight movement of her head. “We’re going to get you out of here, okay? Can you tell if you have any injuries?”_

_“I think my ribs might be broken.” Carina’s voice was strained, her breathing becoming more rapid. “And my leg too—the right one.”_

_Jack reached for his radio. “Cap—” was as far as he got when Andy grabbed his wrist to stop him._

_“You can’t tell her that it’s Carina.” He shot her a look of disbelief but she didn’t give him a chance to protest. “If you tell her, she’s going to want to come in here.”_

_Maya’s voice came over the radio. “Gibson, report.”_

_Reluctance was written all over his face but they didn’t have time to debate it. The wall separating them from the kitchen was engulfed in flames and the fire was starting to spread across the ceiling._

_“Cap, we have a woman trapped under some debris with a possible broken leg and broken ribs. We’re going to need a backboard,” he said into the radio._

_“Copy that. Warren and Montgomery are coming your way.”_

_There wasn’t any reaction from Carina to the sound of Maya’s voice and that worried Andy. “We need to get this off of her,” she said urgently._

_They immediately sprang into action and took hold of the debris on opposite sides. On Jack’s count of three, they carefully lifted it in sync to avoid putting any additional pressure on Carina’s body. Ben and Travis arrived just as they finished discarding of it._

_“Is that…” Travis trailed off, looking between Andy and Jack in shock._

_Ben handed the C collar to Andy, which she secured around Carina’s neck, then went to help Jack roll the doctor onto her uninjured side. Travis slid the backboard into place and they slowly rolled her onto her back again, fastening the straps around her body._

_“Hang in there, doc. We’re almost out of here,” Travis murmured._

_The paramedics raced over to them as soon as they got outside. Leaving Carina in their care, Andy began searching for Maya and spotted her walking towards them. She rushed to intercept her._

_“Maya” was all she could bring herself to say as the weight of what she was about to do settled over her._

_It was Ben who stepped in. “Captain.” He managed to convey the depth of his compassion in just one word. “The woman that was inside… It’s Carina.”_

_Confusion and denial flashed across her face in quick succession. She turned hesitantly towards the stretcher and the look that followed could only be described as complete devastation._

* * *

A glimpse of her girlfriend’s face was all she got before the paramedics loaded her into the back of the ambulance. She didn’t have a chance to hold her hand, kiss her forehead, tell her it was going to be okay, tell her that she loves her. And even though Carina was now out of surgery, that was still the last image Maya currently had of her.

Bailey had returned to the waiting room, with Andrew in tow, to deliver the good news. Maya’s relief was short-lived though when Bailey ordered them to go get something to eat first, since Link would be applying Carina’s cast. Despite their objections, they were no match for the chief.

That was how she ended up in the cafeteria with her girlfriend’s younger brother, each nursing a cup of coffee and lost in their own thoughts. At least she had managed to change out of her uniform, thanks to the bag of clothes Andy had brought her.

Suddenly, Andrew’s pager went off. “Dr Bailey’s letting us up.”

The closer they got to Carina’s room, the faster Maya’s heart started beating in anticipation. Teddy and Link were both present when they arrived.

“She’s come out of the anaesthesia,” Teddy told them, smiling warmly.

An overwhelming sense of protectiveness washed over Maya at the first sight of her girlfriend in that hospital bed. There was a cast on her lower right leg and a tube under her nose providing her with oxygen.

Maya made her way swiftly across the room to stand next to Carina’s left side. “Hey,” she said softly, her tears making a return as she took her hand and received a light squeeze in response. Carina’s eyes opened a minute later and the first thing she saw was Maya’s ecstatic expression.

“ _Cos’_ _ѐ_ _successo_?”

Teddy and Link turned to Andrew but Maya couldn’t tear her gaze away from her girlfriend.

“She wants to know what happened,” he explained. “ _Eri in un ristorante quando scoppi_ _ò_ _un incendio_ (you were at a restaurant when a fire broke out); _parte del soffitto_ _ѐ_ _crollato su di te_ (part of the ceiling collapsed on you). Do you remember?”

She gave a small, confused shake of her head and Maya’s grip on her hand tightened involuntarily.

“It’s okay.” Teddy’s calm demeanour seemed to be more for Maya’s benefit than Carina’s. “It’s normal to be feeling groggy right now with the anaesthesia and the pain meds.”

Recognising both women’s fatigue, Teddy and Link summarised Carina’s injuries and their respective surgeries. As they wrapped up, Link gestured to her cast with a knowing smile. “Amelia thought you would like the colour.”

Glancing down at her leg, Carina’s excitement lit up her face. “ _Blu_ , like Maya’s eyes,” she grinned, prompting a blush to rise on her girlfriend’s cheeks.

The two of them left soon after, promising to check on her the next day. Andrew then approached the bed and Maya was content to just watch as the siblings had a quick—in length and in speed—exchange in Italian.

“ _Vedo che ti sto lasciando in buone mani_ (I can see that I’m leaving you in good hands).” He knew his sister didn’t need his approval but she definitely had it. “ _Sentirsi meglio_ (feel better), okay? _Verr_ _ò_ _domani_ (I’ll come by tomorrow).” With a friendly nod at Maya, he closed the door behind him on his way out.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Maya leaned forward and brushed a feather-light kiss against Carina’s forehead. She brought one hand up to gently stroke her girlfriend’s hair. “I was really scared,” she admitted, feeling the tears she had been holding in all day spill over.

“I’m sorry,” Carina replied, sounding tender still even when her voice is hoarse. Her next words drew a sob from Maya. “I’m still here.”

“You’re still here.” The tightness in her chest began to fade as the words sunk in. She could tell that the doctor was fighting a losing battle against the pull of sleep. “You should get some rest.”

“Do you have to work tomorrow?”

“I don’t have anywhere to be but right here by your side,” insisted Maya. “And I have enough personal days saved up for when you get released as well.” This was met with a look of adoration. “I was thinking it would be easier for you if we stayed at your place?”

Her mind had been working in overdrive while Carina was in surgery. Planning for their future, even if it was just for the next few weeks, had given her something to hold onto.

“ _Sarebbe pi_ _ù_ _facile se vivessimo insieme_.”

Before Maya could ask what that meant, Carina had drifted off into a much-needed sleep. She pressed another kiss to her brow, whispering “I love you” as she did so, and then slid into the chair next to the bed with Carina’s hand safely in her own.

As she gave into her own exhaustion, Maya’s last thought was that she could ask her tomorrow instead.


	2. ii.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to the Guest who suggested this! I'm very grateful for everyone's kindness and support.

Dropping her pen on the desk, Maya reached for her phone to check the time. Not even a minute had passed by but she would never turn down a chance to look at her lock screen. She had captured Carina mid-laugh, eyes shining with happiness, at the words “Captain Maya Bishop” written in black Sharpie on her cast.

Fear hadn’t accompanied that moment, unlike the first time after the fire.

* * *

_Maya followed Carina’s gaze to the vase of yellow- and peach-coloured roses that had caught her eye. The waiter from the restaurant had brought them by earlier, shyly telling the two women that the flowers meant “thank you.”_

_“You saved him.” Yesterday she had mostly been afraid but today, with Carina here in front of her, there was space for other emotions—like pride. “You were a hero in that restaurant. And you’re a hero in this hospital.” Doubt replaced the bashful expression on the doctor’s face. “Hey, where did your head just go?” she asked gently._

_“It’s nothing.” The corners of her lips curved up in an attempt at a smile. Maya gave her hand an encouraging squeeze and waited patiently. “I just remembered something my_ papà _said once about my career.”_

_Her girlfriend had never gone into detail about her relationship with her father, only sharing enough to help Maya understand her own situation. Reopening Carina’s emotional wounds on top of her newly sustained physical injuries didn’t seem like the best idea though._

_Lifting Carina’s hand to her lips, Maya brushed a kiss across her knuckles and was rewarded with a small yet genuine smile._

_Carina tugged lightly on her hand. “Come join me.”_

_“I don’t think you’ve been cleared for sex,” Maya joked. The triumph she felt when Carina laughed vanished with her wince. “Is it your ribs? I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. How bad is the pain?”_

_“I’m okay. It went as fast as it came.” She placed her free hand on Maya’s cheek and stroked it soothingly with her thumb. Her grin was playful as she tried again. “Lie down with me. You’re already on the bed and you slept in a chair last night.”_

_Reluctant as she may be to deny her girlfriend anything, it was Maya’s concern that won out. “I can’t,” she said, her tone apologetic. “I don’t want to hurt you.”_

_She was wholly unprepared, however, for Carina’s_ pout _._

_With her resolve melting away, Maya kicked off her shoes and carefully settled down on Carina’s left side. They had elevated the head of the bed to make it easier for her to breathe._

_Shifting closer, Carina covered their bodies with the blanket and rested her head against Maya’s shoulder. They fell into a content sleep almost immediately; their hands interlaced throughout the night._

* * *

True to her word, Maya was there by her side for the duration of her stay. Bailey had to threaten to bar her from Carina’s room to get her to spend some time away from the hospital. That had lasted the length of a shower plus packing a change of clothes.

While 19 sent her updates at the end of every shift, Maya’s focus remained on her girlfriend. She listened dutifully to instructions for cleaning her incision, even though Carina was already familiar with them; watched her go through breathing exercises; and supported her as she adjusted to her crutches.

After she was discharged, they did indeed return to Carina’s. Attentive and anxious at the same time, Maya stocked the kitchen with the doctor’s favourites and kept track of the times for her medication. She even rearranged the furniture so Carina could move around more easily.

It was clear that Maya needed an outlet for her restlessness but it still took some convincing for her to go back to work.

* * *

_“I’ve been thinking about…” Carina paused, tilting her head to give Maya better access to her neck._ _“_ Il nostro anniversario di un anno _(our one-year anniversary).”_

_Maya lifted her head to look at her girlfriend. “Did you just say ‘anniversary’?”_

_“_ Sì _. We would have to wait until I’m off of my crutches but maybe we could go somewhere again?” Slipping her hand around the back of Maya’s neck, she pulled her close and added, “You’ll have to save some personal days for that though.”_

_Laughing softly, Maya nodded. “I can do that.” Her body hovered slightly above Carina’s to avoid resting her weight on her as she leaned in for a kiss. Before she could get too lost in it, she realised they were missing a crucial piece of information. “Are we counting from the day we first met or when we got back together?”_

_“We should probably figure that out,” replied Carina, smiling as she reconnected their lips._

* * *

On her first day back, Maya got up a half hour earlier than her alarm and ran down to the bakery to pick up a box of pastries, setting them down on the nearest kitchen counter. Not wanting to wake her girlfriend, she instead left a Post-it note that read “ _Ti amo_ ” and checked that her crutches and medication were within reach.

The crew greeted her with enthusiastic cheers when she walked into the firehouse. But in the silence of her office, her mind couldn’t escape the worst-case scenarios. What if Carina drops her crutch and when she goes to pick it up, the pain in her ribs causes her to lose her balance and fall? Maya wouldn’t be home for hours.

Without any calls to distract her, that was how the better part of her morning went. Until she received a selfie of Carina with sleep in her eyes and a loving smile on her lips, holding the note close to her chest.

This began a picture a day to keep Maya’s worries away. Some were taken shortly after Carina had woken up, others showed her having breakfast and lunch, and one or two were not quite safe for work.

All it took though was a spark to bring the emotional effects of the fire roaring to life.

* * *

_Quietly shutting the front door, Maya crept towards the bedroom where the only source of light was coming from. The tension in her body dissipated as she leaned against the doorway, admiring the perfection before her._

_Carina looked up from her laptop when she entered the room. “Hi! I didn’t hear the door,” she said, reaching out for her with both hands._

_“I wasn’t sure if you were awake,” Maya replied, climbing onto the bed and kissing her. The joy and ever-present tenderness on Carina’s face made her want to stay right there in her arms but… “I need a shower.” After one last kiss, she dragged herself off of the bed._

* * *

_Carina’s name fell from her lips in a gasp. She turned her head to her right, eyes adjusting to the darkness, and where her girlfriend had once been was now an empty spot. Heart thumping in her chest, she sat up and went to throw the covers back but her hand was shaking too much to hold onto them._

_A light turned on. Something hit the floor. Arms wrapped around her body. Brown eyes sought hers._

_“Maya, I’ve got you.” She tried to speak but the words wouldn’t come, each breath arriving faster than the previous. “I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere. Breathe.”_

_With every deep inhale and slow exhale, Maya gradually got her breathing under control. “I’m sorry. You need your rest; you’re still recovering.”_

_“No, don’t apologise. This is how a relationship works—being there for each other in the ups and the lows._ E voglio essere qui per te, proprio come sei stato lì per me _(and I want to be here for you, just like you’ve been there for me).” Listening to Carina speak Italian was comparable to serenity. “Do you want to lie down?” At her nod, Carina lay back against her pillow, bringing her girlfriend with her._

_Resting her head on Carina’s chest, Maya took a moment to just feel it rise and fall. “There was a car accident the other day. One of the victims had a broken femur but when they got her onto the stretcher, all I could see was you. I haven’t been able to shake that image since.”_

_“The last thing I remember from the fire is Andy talking to me,” Carina said softly, her fingers running through Maya’s hair. “And I knew I was going to be okay. I trusted that your team would get me out of there. What scared me was the thought of you running into that fire for me.”_

_As she blinked back her tears, Maya’s response got lost in a yawn._

_“It’s okay. You can sleep. I’ve got you.”_

* * *

Daydreaming had its pros and cons. Her shift was now over; she also had a pile of unfinished paperwork.

Today marks Carina’s first physical therapy session now that her cast has been taken off. Despite her girlfriend’s assurances, Maya still felt guilty about missing it but at least she would be picking her up.

After finding the correct room, Maya stopped just inside of the door. Carina was two-thirds of the way down the parallel bars with the physical therapist on her right and her brother at the end, both offering words of encouragement.

Suddenly, her leg gave out from under her. Andrew immediately went to her side while Maya rushed to take his place.

“Andrea, _non posso farlo_ (I can’t do this),” Carina told him, her hands gripping onto the bars.

“Carina.” Maya’s heart ached at the tears of frustration in her girlfriend’s eyes and the relief on her face when she saw her standing there. “You’ve got this. I believe in you.” Dropping her gaze to her legs, Carina took a step forward with her left foot and then hesitated. “Hey, your eyes only need to be on me.”

Carina’s expression became determined as her right foot joined her left. She drew her strength from Maya’s presence until she reached the end and sank into her waiting arms.

“You did so well,” Maya whispered into her ear, pressing a kiss to her temple. “I’m proud of you.”

“It was a good first session,” said the physical therapist. “Take as much time as you need to catch your breath. I’ll see you at the next one, okay? And remember not to put your full weight on that leg.”

And then it was the three of them.

As Carina’s breathing started to even out, Maya tightened her hold on her. “Let’s get you to the car and you can take a nap on the way home.” There was a muffled sound of agreement against her shoulder.

Andrew approached them and handed over Carina’s crutches. “I’ll walk the two of you to your car.”

Eager to get her girlfriend off her feet, Maya was glad she had parked close to the entrance. They helped her into the passenger seat and seconds later she was asleep. Maya fastened her seat belt for her then pulled her sleeve over her hand, lightly wiping away the sweat on Carina’s forehead.

She closed the door and turned to Andrew. “Thank you for driving her today and staying with her.”

“Thank you for taking care of her,” he replied, glancing in his sister’s direction with a brief yet fond smile. “Have a good night.”

Maya responded in kind, watching him head towards his car before getting into her own. Her phone went off just as she put the key into the ignition, causing Carina to stir.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just Vic. She needed somewhere to stay for a few days so I told her to use my place and she wanted me to know that all the food in the fridge has expired,” laughed Maya. “I didn’t even think about that.”

“ _Sarebbe pi_ _ù_ _facile se vivessimo insieme_.” At Maya’s look of curiosity, Carina instantly felt wide awake. “It would be easier if we lived together.”

A delighted, radiant smile appeared on Maya’s face. “You want to live together?”

Carina bit her lip and nodded shyly. “I do.”

Pulling her girlfriend in for a long deep kiss, Maya poured every unspoken word into it.

_I love you_. _I don’t ever want to live without you_. _You changed my life_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't seen the episode (S15E17), this is what Vincenzo DeLuca says to Carina: “You chose a career helping women have babies. A thing she can do by herself since the dawn of time.”


End file.
